Title: About serviceberries
 Categories: Fruits, Info, Canadian
      Yield: 1 Info file
 
      1    Text file
 
  Serviceberries were named for their early spring bloom, coinciding
  with the services conducted by preachers riding circuit through the
  mountains after the spring thaw. An Appalachian dialect version is
  Sarvistree. The shrub Amelanchiers tend to be called Shadbush or
  Shadblow because shad spawn when they blossom. Another common name is
  Juneberry. Actually, the various species come into flower and fruit
  as much as a month apart.
  
  The fruit is a pome, but no bigger than a blueberry. Songbirds,
  squirrels, and bears relish them. Sweet but not tart, they are
  suitable for fresh eating, though some people find them insipid and
  cook them with lemon juice, rhubarb, or currants for added character.
  Fruit quality varies, so if you plan to eat the fruit, choose a
  cultivar selected for good flavor.
  
  The most common one, available through several mail order catalogs, is
  "Success" which is a 6' tall, stoloniferous shrub. A. Grandiflora
  (Apple Serviceberry), a 15'-30' tree, also produces good fruit.
  Saskatoon; (A. alnifolia) is often sold for its fruit, but it is
  native to Canada and the Pacific Northwest, not to our region.